CARLSBAD – After nearly six scoreless quarters to start the season, a quick-strike touchdown just before halftime seemed like the boost a trailing Trabuco Hills team needed on Friday night.
The lift didn’t last long, however, as La Costa Canyon of Carlsbad responded with a touchdown of its own as the half expired and rode that momentum to a 34-7 nonconference victory at La Costa Canyon.
Down 14-0 with 56 seconds left in the half, the Mustangs took over at the Mavericks’ 33 and found the end zone in just two plays. Quarterback Jimmy Jacobs connected with Jacob Breeland and Noah Thompson in quick succession, Thompson’s 12-yard catch capping off a 22-second drive for the Mustangs’ first points of the season.
The visitors’ momentum vanished when La Costa Canyon quarterback Duke Mackle found Garrett Mercado for a 54-yard score, giving the Mavericks a 21-7 lead at the break.
“You go into halftime and you try to say ‘it’s just one play,’” Trabuco Hills coach Tony Henney said, “but obviously it’s … a great play by them and back-breaking for us.”
The Mavericks scored 13 points and forced two turnovers on downs in the fourth quarter to put the game away.
“We got some momentum going there and I think it just carried on,” Mackle said.
After Trabuco Hills missed a first-quarter field goal, Mackle put the Mavericks (1-1) ahead 14-0 with a pair of rushing touchdowns in the second quarter.
“I thought they did a good job of just keep coming at us and eventually you’re going to slip through a tackle or something like that,” Henney said. “I thought their quarterback played a hell of a game.”
Mackle finished with 95 rushing yards and two scores. He passed for 197 yards with TDs to Mercado and Tanner Clark.
Jacobs completed 11 passes for 104 yards and a TD. Thompson and Breeland each had five catches. Chad Crosbie ran for 58 yards.
The Mustangs (0-2) host Fountain Valley next Friday.
Contact the writer: jwilkinson@ocregister.com
